It marked back-to-back Grand Final wins for the partnership of trainer Leighton Colgrave and son-in-law, jockey Grant Seccombe - the latter riding the winner for three straight years, in fact, in the feature of the picnics circuit.

Last year they combined with Pirolo, and in 2017, Tip Rat snuck to a commanding lead at the top of the straight, and never gave up the ascendancy, as emergency Grand Faith chased home to be beaten by 1.25 lengths. There were a further 2.5 lengths back to Bolshoi Belle in third.

Colgrave, who only has Tip Rat in work at the moment, was thrilled to take home back-to-back Grand Final wins.

"I'm starting to feel like the Darren Weir of the picnics!" the Moe-based trainer said post-race.

"We just wanted to see how far he'd go. We had freshened him up for this.

"Actually, we've given him this as a hit-out for a 2500 [metre race] next week if we can get a run. It's not quite the way you'd usually go, but it's the way we're going.

"He has to be in the lead, given a cosy run early and in the lead coming to the turn, and get them to chase him down. And they were struggling in the wet, and they've won in front tonight."

WATCH: Tip Rat wins the Picnic Racing Grand Final

Colgrave is a refrigeration mechanic by day, but there was nothing cold about the ride of Seccombe, who was positive and rewarded.

But the jockey put the credit back on his father-in-law.

"Good training effort by Leigh with this horse, his last start was over 2600m and just got knocked down by a good stayer of Jackson Pallot's [Marlo Man]," Seccombe said.

"So to come back to the mile and put them away like that was pretty impressive.

"I've won the past three, so it's easier riding winners here than the whole season!

"I think it's a 2500m [Benchmark] 64 next week, so I don't quite think he's up to a mile-2000m at the pros, but 24, 25, 26 [hundred], he'll be right there."